No Filipinos hurt in Turkey airport explosions

MANILA — There are no reports of Filipinos killed or injured in a series of deadly explosions in Turkey’s largest airport, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday.

In a television report, DFA Sec. Jose Rene Almendras said initial findings from the Philippine Embassy in Ankara show that there have been none affected by the attacks in Istanbul’s Atatürk international airport.

Almendras said that the agency continues to monitor hospitals there.

The agency is still evaluating if it is necessary to issue a travel warning, he said.

Data from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) showed that in 2015, there were around 467 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) documented in Turkey.

DOLE Sec. Rosalinda Baldoz said that 50 percent of this number are newly hired. Most of the OFWs are technical workers but she said there are also a number of professionals and domestic helpers.

Baldoz said the agency will be checking with recruitment agencies to know the status of the OFWs there.

Reports showed that the explosions in the Turkey airport killed at least 36 people and injured at least 147 others last Tuesday (June 28) night.

The perpetrators were believed to have been suicide bombers who were members of the Islamic state. Azer Parrocha/PNA/ northboundasia.com